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American Sail Training Association Puts Wind in Sails of Historic Vessels

You don't have to be a hard-core sailor to ship out for a high seas adventure. In fact, you don't have to know how to sail at all. All you need, besides the desire to plan the getaway of a lifetime, is a phone to contact the American Sail Training Association (ASTA). ASTA, headquartered in Newport, R.I., works with over 100 member vessels -- some restored, some reproductions, all historically significant -- to connect willing crew with appropriate sail training programs offered in the United States and Canada.

After sailing aboard an ASTA vessel, you'll no longer limit your vision of sail training to uniformed naval cadets. Sail training programs aboard ASTA member vessels are as varied as the individuals -- age eight to 80, male and female -- who participate in them. They include on-the-water classroom studies, laboratory research, flagship and economic development missions, youth-at-risk programs, corporate team building and pure adventure travel. Climbing ratlines, hoisting sails and mastering the elements with mind and muscle all can be part of the sail training experience; although, extraordinary fitness and duty aloft is not required.

"ASTA defines sail training in three words, education under sail," says ASTA's Executive Director Pamela Wuerth. "It isn't so much learning to sail as it is learning from sailing."

ASTA's mission, character building through sail training, is perhaps best illustrated by its member vessel youth programs, yet it also translates well for adult excursions. Most North Americans can trace their ancestors' arrival by ship. The romance of the sea and an appreciation for maritime history are what draw adults to spend time on historic vessels. ASTA's Sail Tall Ships! directory, available for $15 (postage paid) through the ASTA office, neatly describes the programs of its member vessels and includes photos and contact information for each. While many sail training programs purposely are rigorous and akin to Outward Bound-type programs for personal development, others offer leisurely voyages, where relaxation is the goal. Sail Tall Ships! sorts it all out, offering tips on selecting a program and preparations you'll need to make once you've decided on your high seas adventure.

"ASTA serves as a forum for the sail training community and advocates safety at sea for all of its members,^" says Wuerth, noting that ASTA does not inspect, approve, or even recommend vessels or programs, but arms individuals with the knowledge to make educated choices Sail Tall Ships! helps you arrive at a clear understanding of all the important issues prior to setting sail.

Tall Ships 2000^® "Race of the Century"
On many prominent occasions--America's Bicentennial, Boston's 350th Anniversary and the Statue of Liberty's Centennial to name a few--tall ships have gathered en masse to celebrate the role our oceans play in the universal master plan while providing a breathtaking reminder of human ingenuity in creating the crafts to cross them. In the year 2000, as part of the millennium celebrations, hundreds of sail training vessels from across Europe, South America and the U.S. will participate in the largest ever Tall Ships^® event.

Dubbed the "Race of the Century," the Tall Ships 2000^® celebration will begin with dual starts from Southampton, England and Genoa, Italy. Fleets from each port will race to Cadiz, Spain, where a trans-Atlantic race to Bermuda begins on May 7. The ships will gather on July 12 at the official U.S. race port of Boston, Massachusetts. They will then race from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia before racing their final trans-Atlantic leg to Amsterdam. The Tall Ships 2000^® celebration is being organized by the International Sail Training Association (ISTA), which serves hundreds of sail training programs around the world, in partnership with ASTA, which was founded in 1973 as an affiliate of ISTA.

"At the North American, national and regional levels, ASTA works with host seaports to design safety-conscious events that showcase the majesty of large sailing vessels," says Wuerth, "It is a natural outgrowth of facilitating safe, educational and diverse programs for youths and adults wishing to participate in learning experiences at sea."

Wuerth noted that ASTA also will host Tall Ships^® races on the Great Lakes in 1998.
So get out of your armchair and climb aboard an ASTA member vessel! After your initial sail training adventure, you might just be ready to work on qualifying for participation in one of these official Tall Ships^® events.

To order the Sail Tall Ships! directory or to learn more about ASTA, the Tall Ships 2000^® "Race of the Century" and other ASTA Tall Ships^® events, contact ASTA's national headquarters at 47 Bowen's Wharf; P.O. Box 1459, Newport, R.I., 401-846-1775/849-5400 fax.

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